Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's tinnitus as secondary to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by his service, as there was no evidence to support a nexus between his current conditions and military service.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and opinion.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus had their onset during service, with current evidence showing a continuity of symptoms. Therefore, service connection is granted for both conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to afford the Veteran a hearing, and the case is now pending before the Board for further action.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining his Navy Reserve records and a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any current lung disorder. The issues on appeal are related to service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and lung disorder due to asbestosis exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected left ear hearing loss does not warrant a compensable rating under VA's disability evaluation criteria.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are related to his active service, warranting service connection.

The Veteran's tinnitus and right ear hearing loss are service-connected, but the Board found that neither condition alone or in combination precludes him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment. The claim for an extra-schedular rating for tinnitus was denied as there were no exceptional factors present to warrant such a rating. The TDIU claim was also denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, circulatory problems (claimed as secondary to diabetes mellitus type II), right ear hearing loss disability, left ear hearing loss disability, and hypertension (claimed as secondary to diabetes mellitus type II).

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied, and the Board found that new and material evidence had been received to reopen several of his claims. The effective date for PTSD was not established due to a finding of no CUE.

The Board has withdrawn the Veteran's appeal for increased rating for bilateral hearing loss. The effective date of service connection and a 10% disability rating for tinnitus was changed from February 26, 1999 to February 26, 1998.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year of service separation, and there is no evidence of continuity of symptoms since service. The Veteran's contentions regarding continuous symptomatology are outweighed by other evidence of record, including lack of in-service complaints or treatment for these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was denied as there is no competent, credible evidence suggesting a nexus between any current tinnitus and his period of active military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant due to his inability to use braces, crutches, canes, or a wheelchair as a normal mode of locomotion.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus, do not render him unemployable due to their severity alone. The combined disability rating is sufficient to support a finding of TDIU.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are related to his active service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his lumbar degenerative disc disease was granted, with a 10 percent evaluation. His claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are pending.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to service, but his right ear hearing loss and left ear hearing loss are not found to be related to service.